Door-operating mechanism



April 14, 1931- R. A. ISENBERG ET AL 1,800,635

DOOR OPERATING MEGHANI SM Filed June 3, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet I [m INVENTORS.

N RUDOLF A. ISENBERG WALTER B. 5N0 K April 1931- R. A. ISENBERG ET AL 35 DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 9

April 14, 1931- R. A. JSENBERG ET AL ,800,635

DOOR OPERAMN? MECHANISM Filed June 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOAS. ,53 RUDOLF A. ISENBERG WALTER B. SNOOK- I?) 5% iffy Patented Apr. 14, 1931 nniran stares PATENT REJDOLF A. ISENIBERG, OF LOS ALTOS, AND WALTER B. SNOOK, OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed June 3,

Our invention relates to improvements in operating mechanism for garage doors and the like wherein a door is supported by rollers upon a pivotally mounted door supporting beamadapted to be tilted by means of actuat'ing connections operable by a vehicle approaching or leaving the door whereby the door maybe rolled along said beam to open or closed position as desired.

, The primary object of our invention is to provide an improved door operating mechanism for opening and closing garage doors and the like.

Another object is to provide an improved door operating mechanism which may be easily and efiic-iently actuated by a vehicle approaching or leaving the door.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism of the character described which may be conveniently operated by an individual independently of the vehicle actuated means.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism which will normally occupy neu- ,.25 tral inoperative position and which will be automatically returned to said neutral position after an operation to either open or close thedoor.

A further object is to provide an improved 7. o device wherein. the actuating force applied by a vehicle is resiliently absorbed to prevent shock and injury to the mechanism and to provide a smooth, eflicient operation.

Another object is to provide an improved device wherein the door may be moved by gravity to open or closed position, and in which an initial impulse is automatically imparted to the door when it is to be moved.

A still further object is to provide an improved mechanism of the character described which may be economically manufactured and installed and which is simple and eflicient in its operation.

We accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are usedto designate similar parts through- I out the specificatioi and drawings, and in 99 which, 1 r

1929. Serial No. 868,015.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a door disclosing our improved operating mechanism, the section being taken upon the line 11 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 2 is a broken elevation of the inside of the door and operating mechanism, parts being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing a plan view of the operating mechanism, the figure being drawn upon a larger scale;

Fig.4 is a broken inside elevation of the door supporting beam drawn upon the scale of Fig. 3 and disclosing the manner in which the beam is tilted to open or close the door;

Fig. 5 is a broken detail of the vehicle actuated member;

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional detail of the resilient actuatingmeans;

Fig. 7 is a broken sectional detail of the beam adjusting means;

Fig. 8 is an inside elevation of a door of a modified form, disclosing the manner in which our operating mechanism is mounted in connection therewith;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section showing a plan of the operating mechanism of 8;

Fig. 10 is a detail of the upper hinge mounting for the door shown in Figs. 8 and 9; and i Fig. 11 is a broken plan view of a portion of the door, as shown in Fig. 8, and disclosing the manner in which the door portions are folded to open position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate in general a door movable to open and close a door opening 2 iorm'ed in a wall 3. The door 1 is preferably provided witha pair of supporting members 4 secured adjacent the upper corners of the door and provided with flanged rollers 6 90 adapted to engage a flange 7 formed upon a supporting beam 8 pivotally mounted at its center as at 9 above the door 1. The door is preferably mounted upon the inside of the wall 3 to entirely cover the opening 2 when in closed position and arranged to be moved to entirely uncover the opening 2 when the door is moved to its open position. Stops 11 are mounted to limit the movement of the 41 1? 1, and latches 12 and 13 are arranged 10G made reiativelysmall so that the force required will be too great to permit operation by an individual. y

The shock imparted to the member 28 when engaged by the wheel of a vehicle is absorbed by the springs 29 and 31 to prevent strain upon the operating members. Thus, as the member 28 is depressed by a vehicle, the casing 2% is moved to compress one of the springs 29 or 31. The force thus stored in the spring causes the plunger 23 to be moved to actuate the beam, thus relieving the mechanism of any sudden strain, and obtaining a smooth positive action.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a modilied form of door. In this arrangement, the door consists of two sections la and 1b, hingedly connected at their adjacent edges by hinges Gne edge of the door is hingedly mounted upon suitable hinges 53, one of said hinges being adapted to permit a sliding movement of the pintah preferably as indicated in 10, whereby the cloor maybe tipped upon the hinges 52. The opposite edge of the door is supported by a support-- ing member d'provided with a flanged roller 6 engaging the beam 8 as shown in Fig. 8, and in a manner fully analogous to the mechanism above described, except that the member i is pivotally connected as at 50 to a mounting per ion ea secured to the door portion 1a.

-When the beam 8 is tilted as above described, and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the free edge of the door is caused to be moved along the beam 8 to fold the door sections to open position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9. Springs 54 are mounted upon the upper and lower edges of the door adjacent the hinged edges of the door sec tion, the ends of the springs being secured to opposite door sections and arranged to exert a normal pressure tending to move the sections on the hinges 51 to the folded relation as indicated in ll of thedrawings. The operation of the beam tilting mechanism is the same as for the full sliding typeof door, and requires no further description.

While we have illustrated the invention as applied only to garage doors ot the sliding and folding types, the device is of course adaptable for use in numerous other con nections, and for other purposes. The specilic details ot 'construction and arrangement are likewise subiect to modification in numerous ways with tdepart-ing from the spirit of our invention. .Ve therefore desire to avail ourselves of all modifications of structure and arrangem nt which may within. the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. A door open ng mechanism compr' inga pivotally mounted supporting beam; a

ing the beam a door; a door supporting means secured to the door and forming rolling contact with the supporting beam; means normally holding the beam in a horizontal position and operable to raise one end of the beam to roll the door to an open position; and means for raisin the opposite end of the beam to roll the door to a closed position.

2. A. door opening mechanism compr sing pivotally mounted su iporting beam; a door provided with rollers the beam and supporting the door thereon: an actuating member mounted in spaced. relation to the front of the door and operable by a vehicle approaching or leaving the door; a rod connected to one end of the beam; a bell crank connected to the rod; resilient means connecting the actuating member with the bell crank to tilt the beam whereby the door may be rolled between its open and closed positions; and foot operated means for tilting the beam in either direction independently of the actuating member.

3. A door opening mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted. supporting beam: a door provided with rollers engaging the beam and supporting the door thereon; an actuating member mounted in spaced relation to t-l e front of the door and operable by a vehicle approaching or leaving the door; rod connected to oneend of the beam: a bell crank connected to the rod; resilient means connecting the actuating member with the bell crank to tilt the beam whereby the door may be rolled. between its open and closed positions; means connected to the bell crank and rod for actuating the same menu ally independently of the actuating member; and means connected to the other end of the beam for tilting the beam to close the door.

4;. A. door operating mechanism comprising a pivotally mountedsupporting beam: a door provided with rollers engaging the beam and supporting thedoor thereon; an actuating member mounted in spaced relation to the front of the door d operable by a vehicle approaching or leaving the door; a rodconnected to end of the beam: means mounted in conn ttion with said rod for moving the rod to a normal po. LlOTi holdhorizontal position; a bell crank connected to the rod; and re il Q I C. 77/13:?

1 flmeails molintedinlcoilheotion with said rod vfor moyingthofbd'toia'normal poitionholdiiigl'the'rbea'm iirj j zifhorizjoiitalpositionga bell crank -co mectedoto the rod; resilient means fl-conneeting the actuating membeifwitli the {bell clienkfwherehy' movement of the ,aetfialt il g' memberoperates,to tiltflthe beemsgandf cause the door to fii oll, between itsopen 7' and I.

paintings; .etziiting impulse to. the door.

g a piy tallyk'moiinted upporiting beam;

, gctuatiogmeniber mounted infspaced relej u s ting means :{mou-iitejd upon the" rod and,

1 2 movable,tohdjiisltthebeen toal ormallhori- V i l-ipooitioogl springimeans' for inoVingf, thefrod itojie nor nal .pOSitionhOkliDg the "connected; to thefiifod ..and. resilient means 'oIiI'iect'ifig ,theY iotnatihg lnemberfwith" the 1 bell .orank whe ieloy ifr lovement of the actual) gii lg'ginemher joperzitesito gtiltgthe" beam and,

'o' rollloetweent its op'en and d p sit n g l ngpm hinted; withinlthe ca in roijided withj p unger -r de enne jitQ th -b i rank; isp ng m u d W .zztheacasi g Land noI-rmeuy c rihg thegp e- =.aotuating memb efcoiiiieoted 1w the easi g the beami aiid "roll. theido'oro to open of position/ I Q rf th i n and adaptd; o bet co pr' edtt ing m mbereweC1,.w1hwee e wt h @ClOSBdiPOSitiOIlS .and'j pring means; for imr p 7 .a door P-fOVldBd With-rollersengaging the 6 ."Agdoozn. o erati mechanism 'oomprle;

:34; -doorfo pi;ovided ithjrollers engaging the beam gfan'd supporting-ithe door thereon; an

ttion iitoi the v fipllll 'ro'i" thedoor nd o mble; ,ayehicle appfqflchingor leavingthe door; fa ro'd' LGOII'IEBClZGd lZO jpiie end of thebeem; ad- L e rr' op mifigime a i n i pi'i' ota-lly 'mounted supporting beemg' emnk'oomieoted tolth'e rojd; a oyliiid ical cas- Yer'lthere'i1'1}and'iadeipted tobe Qompreseed t0 i resiliently v actual-t ethepl mgei when the 021's} inggisf Pinoved in? either; direction ta; easing I 1 actuating :rod secured-to the ea in and an,

aetu ati'ngrodend positioned within the path f "allvehiole approaching {or leaving the do or v.emizl ecleptdtoioe.diplew ll y Such vehi le; to operate the ;.cfonneotingfmenjhei's a nd; tilt .tovided {Witlil IQDers;- ehgeging the o t uetir g fod -seourd{tolthe cesZing;fa faot11gt-1 eeeee i m endipojsitioned withirithepagt ole-fie :bear'hlahd rolltheddoor,tofopen or closed oposi beam iilj aihoriz'ontal position. e

. o r dmea n's folnormally holdi g'the door opei'etingflmeohailisih: oomp'rie- 'mg :a; lpivotally mounted supporting heam;

beam andsupportingthedooljthereoh; a rod I COlIIHGCted to onele'nd-of the beam; 212 bell tcrank :coniieoted to theirod a'l oylindl ioal eas ing; a, lunger 1 mounted Withlni the easing and 'provicled'with a; plunger Ifoc'l' oon neoted i f h n @1112; prings mountedwith in'th casing and n ma y n ring the, plunger silifently the plunger; when the" as ng is moved lljlheltllelfCllI'GQtlQll; a 'caslhglao tuatmg rod ;s eo1'1r .ed tothe I casing an actuating membeifoonneotedto the casing actuating "rod and positioned :Mltlllll 'the'peth of .f'a ve hiole'. approaching of leao-viiig the door: and adapted to be displaced byflsuch ivehioleto operate the oo'nneoting niembers, andftiltflthe? beam aridoll the doorolto o en or closed,

position {and epring means for imparting is tilted, i

an initial impulseutogthd door'when the beam. r

Q10. Y door-operating meohanisih oompfis;

mg a pivotally: mounted supporting, beam;

:doofr- :p'royided; :yvith V vrollers engaging the {beam a,11d supporting" the doorlthereo ggwrod ;o0nnected,-:t0' one end; of lthe be'amja bell. omnkoonneoted to therodr; afcylindrioal cae- -ing; a pill lnge'r mounted Within the; casing ie-11 {provide Wit pl ngef rod l foililoe d to the' bell crank ysprings mouhted withing f the easing on dnormaLI Centering the plun e er therein and. adaptedito he coinpressed to resiliently aot iate the j plungei' giwhent the oca sing -is anov'ed in either direction Q o a si 'n'g aotliating iodsecured totheoaeing; 2X11 aotu-- V {ating member connec tedfto the easing aotuet ing lro d -and :pbSitiOfiedwithin the peth 2 vehiolea pproaching or 'lewirig thjeidooi'fzind v adapted to he dis-placed K by fsuoh .yehicle to d operate the eonneoting member s andftjilt the {beam mid roll the door to :Ope'n. or olosed position; mid manually operatedymeene con,- 7

neoted to the; beam and operable vindepend- 1 e y d li -v l abtiie ed meansior tilt 'ingthe' beam ili -either directiori; ;;1

' l1. AY floor operating meohanishl oolhpris ing a pivotally mouhted siipportingf beam; 1

a door provided -with iollersengaging the beamfandsupportingthegdoor thereon; {a rod I plunge? inoqpted within the. casing a rid pro? siliently actuate the plunger when the easing is moved in either direction; a casing actuating rod secured to the casing; an actuating member connected to the casing actuating rod and positioned Within the path of a vehicle approaching or leaving the door and adapted to be displaced by such vehicle to operate the connecting members and tilt the beam and roll the door to open or closed position; and manually operated means connect-- ed to opposite ends of the beam and operable independently of the vehicle actuated means for tilting the beam in either direction.

In Witness whereof, We hereunto set our signatures.

RUDOLF A. ISENBERG. WALTER B. SNOOK. 

